2019-2020 Year in Review

The 19-20 concert season once again featured some of the best jazz, folk, classical, world music and more in the perfect acoustics of the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Musical highlights included acclaimed jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant; the high-energy Mwenso and the Shakes presenting “Harlem 100;” roots music legends Los Lobos, soulful singer Ruthie Foster and country music star Kathy Mattea; the Milk Carton Kids; London’s The Kingdom Choir, known for their performance at the 2018 royal wedding; and the Whitaker World Music Concerts series, which once again brought dynamic artists to The Sheldon stage from around the globe. The 19-20 line up included rising Venezuelan vocalist Nella, world music superstar Angélique Kidjo and Ireland’s Danú and Goitse.

The Sheldon Art Galleries featured a diverse range of local, national and international photography, painting, sculpture, multi-media and children’s art during the 19-20 season, and of course, the return of “Golf the Galleries” in summer 2019. A record number of mini-golf lovers played the interactive course in its second year.

Other programmatic highlights included paintings by St. Louis-based artist Ben Pierce, photographs by Kristen Peterson, a multi-disciplinary installation by Sun Smith Forêt, a tribute to the work of late architect Phil Durham, an “Innovations in Textiles” fashion exhibition curated by designer Michael Drummond, and a nationally-touring retrospective of work by acclaimed artist Bea Nettles, co-curated by The Sheldon, the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, NY and the Krannert Art Museum at the University of Illinois in Champaign.

Once again, Sheldon education programs served over 30,000 St. Louis-area students during the 19-20 school year, with programs in jazz, folk, classical, world and Broadway music, performed by some of St. Louis’ top musicians.

Dozens of schools and thousands of students participated in the STEAM-based SOLID Music Project, underwritten by Boeing and in collaboration with the St. Louis Science Center. The instruments created by students culminated in the first-ever online showcase of their work in the spring of 2020.

The Sheldon’s North County Big Band, led by Harvey Lockhart, and The Sheldon’s City of Music All-Star Chorus, led by Maria A. Ellis, continued to showcase some of St. Louis’ top high school music talent, with performances at The Sheldon and throughout the region, to their credit.

Despite the shortened season, The Sheldon hosted hundreds of community events and partnerships during the 2019-2020 season, including weddings and receptions, reunions, galas, business meetings and more. Notable events included St. Louis Magazine A-List Awards, Women Lawyer’s Association Installation Gala, Moth Radio Hour, Mildred Thimes Foundation benefit, Muny Magic, Rick Wakeman, Pianos for People-Evening of 100 Fingers gala, Valentines a la Flamenco, NAACP Welcome Event, Melba Moore and The Royal Vagabonds benefit, among many others.